Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase Talk
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ARKANSAS AND THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
With the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase this year, 2003, this is a
good time to explain the important part Arkansas played in the whole affair.
The first event, chronologically was the official American trip of exploration
into the territory up the Wachita (Ouachita) River to the Hot Springs there.
One might call it the "Southern Voyage of Discovery." On October 16,
1804, William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter began their trip. This was the
same time Lewis and Clark were starting their more famous "Voyage of
Discovery."
But the most important event was the surveying and marking the INITIAL
SURVEY POINT in southeast Arkansas. It is from this point that lands
within the Purchase area were surveyed. As the Arkansas logo for the
celebration states, "The Journey Began in Arkansas." Without that survey
point, no western lands could have been purchased, claimed or developed.
The idea for an Arkansas commemoration of the bicentennial of the
Louisiana Purchase officially started in 1996 with a small group of
representatives from the Arkansas Secretary of State's office, the Dept. of
Arkansas Heritage, the Dept. of Parks and Tourism, and AETN. From this
small group came the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Committee of
Arkansas. This 54 member committee is comprised of representatives of
about 25 different agencies, groups, and associations. I was included as the
DAR representative the summer of 2001. I'm thrilled to tell you that there
are more plans for promoting and educating about Arkansas' part in the
exploration and settlement of the Purchase lands than just a big celebration
party - although there will be one of those too.
I won't go into the whys and wherefores of the Purchase. That is another
whole history lesson and you know most of it. It is enough to say that when
Napoleon found himself in need of money, he offered to sell the whole of
the Louisiana Territory, some 830,000 square miles, for 15 million dollars
($15,000,000). Far exceeding their authority, the American representatives
in France agreed.
(Show picture)
The sale of the Territory for that price came to 2-3 cents (less than 5 cents)
an acre. It contained what would become the states of: Arkansas, Iowa,
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Missouri, and Nebraska, plus parts of Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Louisiana, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota. Some
add the corners of Idaho and New Mexico. It encompassed the area bounded
on the East by the Mississippi, on the West by the Rocky mountains, on the
North by the 49th parallel (decided by the 1818 treaty with England) and on
the South by the Gulf of Mexico.
Now a little background.
When war with England seemed to be imminent in 1811, the government
used land bounties as inducements for recruitment. The Act of May 6, 1812,
made it possible to award these bounties after the war by establishing three
Military Tracts of two million acres each in Michigan, Illinois, and the
Louisiana Territory. These Military Tracts were to be divided into townships
of six miles square and each township divided into thirty six sections of 640
acres each.
The procedure of dividing land into townships was established by the Land
Ordinance of 1785 which divided the land of the Northwest Territory (now
the Old Northwest Territory and made up of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, and Wisconsin.) Again, that is another whole history lesson.
The Military Tract in the Louisiana Territory lay in the eastern area of what
is now Arkansas. By 1814 there were calls from veterans for the military
tracts to be opened up. As none of them had as yet been surveyed, President
James Madison asked the General Land Office to do so as quickly as
possible. In order to do so in the Arkansas Military Tract, a survey meridian
had to be established.
Two men, Joseph Brown and P.K. "Prospect" Robbins were sent to establish
that survey meridian identified as the 5th Principal Meridian. On October 27,
1815, Robbins and Brown and their crews went down the Mississippi to the
area to be surveyed. Robbins and one group went as far as the Arkansas
River and set a post at that junction. That was where they would begin
working north. On the same day, the other crew under Joseph Brown set a
post at the confluence of the Mississippi and the St. Francis Rivers and
began to run a line west.
These men and their crews labored through that rough country. They had to
wade through swamps, cut trees, avoid alligators, snakes and bears. They
had to haul the heavy measuring chains and equipment as well as all their
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supplies. (No Global Positioning by satellite, no Holiday Inns or
McDonalds, back then.) In addition to the chain men and axe men there were
hunters in the party to provide food for the workers. The land was described
as "briers and swamps and briers aplenty." The two surveyors and parties
finally met on November 10, 1815. At this point they set a post and marked
(blazed) two "witness" trees. [Robbins' notes read, "Intersected Baseline 26
miles & 30 chains West of Mississippi where set a post corner... from which
a gum 18 in di. bears N.61 E dist 44 link & a Do 18 in. di. S 70 W. dist 10
L." Transcript of field notes of the Fifth Principal Meridian P.K. Robbins
27th Oct. 1815]
Are there any surveyors in the group? If not that makes me an expert.
To establish an initial point it was necessary to survey a permanent north
south line or meridian and cross it with an east west baseline, the junction
representing the INITIAL POINT. (Dept of Int. NPS, Nat Reg. Historic
Places.)
From this Initial Survey Point they began to mark out the first four
townships. And it is from this point that all the survey lines of the territory
are marked. It has been called the most important geographic point in the
Louisiana Territory. As Sharon Priest, past Secretary of State of Arkansas
said in a news report, "Every piece of property west of that point has its
roots in Arkansas."
(Sharon Priest, "The Arkansas Reporter" Oct 13, 2000.
This marker post and the witness trees over time became lost. When in the
early 1920's (over 100 years later) there was a disagreement over some
property lines in the area, surveyors Tom Jacks and Eldridge Douglass were
sent to resurvey the site. After searching, they finally found the gum trees,
(the witness trees) that originally had been marked. The long lost Initial
Survey Point had been found.
Mrs. David Wall, Historian of the L'Anguille Chapter, DAR of Marianna,
Arkansas recognized the significance of the Initial Survey Point, and with
the support of the Arkansas State Society sponsored the placing of a marker
on the site. The event was planned for November 10,1925, the 110th
anniversary of the establishing of the site by Robbins and Brown. However,
heavy rains flooded the area and the site and the monument had to sit in the
town park of Marianna until the area dried up enough to place it. The event
was finally held October 17,1926, the 111th anniversary of the beginning of
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the survey. Loaded on a log wagon, the stone marker was moved and placed
at the site.
Mrs. Anna H. Cordell, reported to the Arkansas State DAR Conference,
February 24-25, 1926, "This ...Marker...is a beautiful boulder of Arkansas
granite 4 feet high, 3 feet wide and weighs 3,300 pounds - original cost was
$140.00 but the freight and labor charges will probably add another $100.00
to the cost when it is permanently set in a concrete base." (Arkansas
Historical Markers book by Louise Kellogg.)
The text of the marker reads:
"This stone marks the base established November 10, 1815, from which the
lands of the Louisiana Purchase were surveyed by United States Engineers.
The survey from this point was made to satisfy the claims of the soldiers of
the War of 1812 with land bounties. Erected by Arkansas Daughters of the
American Revolution by: L'Anquille Chapter."
The area is now the Louisiana Purchase State Park. The area was set aside in
the 1970's. Highway 362 leading to the park from Hwy 49, is on the base
line as is Base Line Road in southern Little Rock. And Our Marker is a
National Historical Landmark. (Dept. of Int. NPS)
The State Park is located in a tract of headwater swamp, an area that seldom
floods deeply, yet rarely dries up. This habitat was once common in the
eastern part of Arkansas before the days when swamps were drained and
cleared. It is host to many plants and animals not found elsewhere in
Arkansas.
Since the Survey site is in a headland swamp, the ecology of the area also is
being stressed. In the last two hundred years the passenger pigeon and the
Carolina parrot have disappeared and the bird voiced tree frog is in danger. I
know, most of you prefer warm fuzzy kittens or a good hunting dog to things
that live in a swamp, but you also know that they are important and must be
understood and protected. This lesson is also being stressed to school
children.
The park has no buildings, and is not staffed, but a handicapped accessible
boardwalk has been constructed out to Our Historic Marker. Informative
wayside exhibits are located along this boardwalk. For the Bicentennial, the
park is getting a face lift and is being improved.
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The second important event associated with the Louisiana Purchase that
occurred in Arkansas was the trip to explore this new area by William
Dunbar, an amateur scientist from Natchez, Mississippi and Dr. George
Hunter of Philadelphia. President Jefferson, in 1804, as he was sending
Lewis and Clark on their now famous journey, also sent Hunter and Dunbar
to explore the southern part of the Territory. They were asked by Jefferson
to lead the first scientific expedition to the "headwaters of the Washita
(Ouachita) River and report on the Indian tribes, plants, animals and
particularly the mysterious "boiling springs". Or as it was called, "the
Valley of the Vapors". Originally, they had been asked to explore the
Arkansas River up to its headwaters in the Rockies, to make a Southern
Grand Expedition, but the threat of hostile renegade Osage Indians changed
their plans. Since they had made their plans, they decided to take a shorter
trip.
(How many of you saw the movie on AETN, "The Forgotten Expedition"? It
tells about this expedition.)
At the time of the Purchase of Louisiana Territory, there were few
settlements on the Mississippi north of New Orleans. There was the town of
St. Louis, and settlements at New Madrid, Cape Girardeau, St. Charles,
Natchitoches on the Red River and Arkansas Post. All of the latter were little
more than French trading posts.
The territory was mostly occupied by the Quapaw Indians (called by the
Illinois Indians, the Akamsea.) There had been hunters and trappers in the
region, mostly French and Spanish, but no serious exploration of the area.
Folks along the eastern seaboard knew little or nothing about the area. Talk
about buying a pig in a poke.!
Dr. Hunter and the party set out on October 16, 1804 from Natchez and
picked up William Dunbar. The party was composed of Dr. Hunter and his
son; Dunbar and his manservant (slave); Samuel Blazier, (a scout); a
sergeant and twelve soldiers from the post in New Orleans.
The boat used was like a flat ferry fifty feet long and eight feet wide with a
mast and sail and sets of oars. From the sketch of it, it looked like a Chinese
junk. It had a small cabin and tarpaulins to keep off the weather and cover
the supplies.
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The group left the Mississippi and rowed up the Red and Black Rivers and
up into the Wachita (Ouachita) River. They had to exchange their boat for a
smaller one better suited to the rapids and rough water encountered. By
rowing, pulling with ropes on shore and shifting cargo they made it up to
near the Hot Springs.
Each day, weather permitting, the longitude and latitude were taken as they
mapped the rivers, and the weather conditions ie: air and water temperatures
were recorded. They also recorded in their journals, the types of soil found,
any metals or minerals found, kinds of plants and trees found and numbers
and kinds of animals seen.
On December 6th (some 52 days after they had set out) they arrived at the
spot on the river closest to the springs from which to travel overland to their
final destination.
They then began their explorations of the area and experiments. They
mapped and marked each spring, they noted the temperature of the water,
the rate of flow, and its taste. They noted the temperature of the largest
spring was 150 degrees, yet they found green "moss" (algae like plans)
growing there. They even discovered a small bivalve animal (ostracod)
growing in the springs.
With Christmas approaching the men saved up their rum rations, and used
the additional liquor to celebrate the holiday. Having been given the day off,
they drank, they danced; they drank, they sang; they drank, they "whooped
and hollared"; they drank, they shot off their guns; and had a good time.!
And they probably had a headache the next day.
It snowed hard on New Years Day, January 1, 1815 and 10-13 inches were
measured. They waited for this to melt and for additional rain to raise the
level of the river before they headed down stream again. Their wait served
them well and they made a swift journey down stream having little or no
difficulty with the rapids that had been so troublesome on the trip up.
When they reached the Red River, Dunbar left the group and traveled
overland to his home near Natchez and Dr. Hunter completed the journey
and sailed for Philadelphia from New Orleans having returned the soldiers to
their post there.
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A marker was placed in Hot Springs to commemorate this "Southern
Voyage of Discovery" or "Grand Expedition" by the Hot Springs of
Arkansas Chapter NSDAR on January 8, 1934.
The maker reads:
"Indian Trail used by George Hunter and William Dunbar Appointed
by President Thomas Jefferson to make the first analysis of Hot Spring water
Erected by Hot Springs of Arkansas Chapter DAR January 8, 1934."
As Dr. Trey Berry of Ouachita Baptist University stated, "Their travels were
significant because theirs was the first American trip into the newly acquired
Louisiana Purchase. Their records gave the young United States a
description of this new land, and in particular, a look into the southern part
of the Louisiana Purchase. They were the first to accurately survey and
conduct scientific experiments in this region. They are an important part of
the Louisiana Purchase story that is not told as readily as Lewis and Clark."
(Dr. Trey Berry, from video "It Started Here.")
So if anyone mentions Lewis and Clark to you, be sure to ask if they have
heard about Hunter and Dunbar!
So you see Arkansas did indeed have an important part in the development
of the Territory, by marking the survey point and also in spreading
knowledge about the southern section of the Purchase.
Mickie Warwick, past president of the Arkansas Surveyors Association
made this statement, " ... if not for your organization having put the
monument there in 1926, we most likely would not know the exact location
of the Initial Point. There would be not state park and probably no
celebration of the fact that Arkansas has the Initial Point. One never knows
the ramifications of what you do in your life. I think it is significant that of
the entire Louisiana Purchase Territory, Arkansas was the first land chosen
for settlement. It was not Missouri, in spite of the fact that the Surveyor
General was stationed in St. Louis. This is a proud monument for Arkansas,
the surveyors, and the DAR. Thanks for your help in preserving it and
publicizing its significance."
Among the plans made for the state besides the projects for the schools, are:
a new LAP Boy/Girl Scout badge, all the state parks will be participating
with information, (a passport project is being developed.) Ft. Smith is
having a symposium on the impact on native Americans, exhibits are
planned for the museums throughout the state, and seeds and seedling trees
from the park are being grown for distribution.
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I urge you all to visit the LAP Park next year. It is an easy one day trip and
fun to see where it all began.
Plans are being made locally here in Harrison to participate in this important
Arkansas event. Since May is Arkansas Heritage month, most plans center
around this period. The theme of Crawdad Days, of 2003 will be the
"Louisiana Purchase, The Journey Began in Arkansas." The museum, the
library and the college are all being involved.
I wanted to tell you about this Bicentennial event so that when your kids or
grandkids come home from school and begin to tell you all about this, you
can say, "I know all that", and because it is such an important part of our
state's history.